'Humble' veteran honored by brother

Sault native Tom Mackie was a humble, happy-go-lucky man, but when it came to the horror of war, he never placed that burden on his family.

The second oldest of six siblings, Tom Mackie died at age 66 without telling relatives about the struggles he endured as a U.S. Army Chief Warrant officer and helicopter pilot in Vietnam, his brother Rick Mackie said.

“Until his obituary came out a lot of us didn’t know he had so many honors,” said Rick, who was 10 years old when Tom went to Vietnam from 1970-71.

Mackie was the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. T.B. Mackie. Dr. Robert Mackie, who currently practices in the Sault, still lives in the family home.

His brother, Rick Mackie, said Tom graduated from Sault High in 1966. He was eventually drafted into the Army. He had an admiration for trucks and airplanes while growing up.

“I believe he had taken flying lessons — or at least had been in a small private plane, prior to being drafted,” he said of his brother. “While in boot camp they asked if anyone was interested in flying and he raised his hand. He flew UH-1 Huey Helicopters in Vietnam from 1970-71.”

The Mackie family lived near an armory and Rick said he and his friends would ride over to watch the choppers fly. UH-1 Hueys similar to the one his brother was piloting in Vietnam would pass overhead.

The Mackies feared for the life of their oldest son.

“I remember the only communications is the cassette tapes that would come and hearing his voice,”

Rick said. “It was an emotional time. My mom, my parents... every time someone was knocking on the door, you never know.”

Tom was wounded by a bullet that passed through the instrument panel of his helicopter and struck his left shoulder.

“He got the Purple Heart, but he always was humble with that, too,” Rick said. “He said he was just flying along and his left shoulder felt warm. He happened to glance at it and it was red. I don’t know if he noticed one of his instruments were out.”

Tom never said much more about his time in combat but he returned a tormented man.

Life after conflict

Through time, Tom had a variety of occupations while living in the Sault, including running a FBO (Fixed Base Operator) business at the city airport, Assistant Manager of Cloverland Oil - overseeing the various Mobil service stations in the area and driving the gasoline/fuel oil semi truck.

Rick said Tom’s most recent occupation upon his retirement was an over the road trucker-owner/operator for Ken Graham Trucking.

Tom’s wife, Dana Angeli-Mackie, of Brimley, Mich., married him in 2003, the first time he attended a reunion of the 101st Airborne Division, 189th Assault Helicopter Company, II Corps. Ghost Riders.

She said the visit with his battle buddies was “therapeutic.”

“It was heart-warming and absolutely enlightening to me,” Angeli-Mackie said. “I felt ignorant that I didn’t know more prior to this. It just opened a whole line of communication between us. He felt more comfortable talking to me about it. He left a different person.”

“There were so many times he was shot over there and survived,” Angeli-Mackie said.

Rick said he idolized his brother for his service but it wasn’t until his death that details of his military record began to unravel.

Tom’s military record indicated he was awarded: The Purple Heart Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, the Army Aviator Badge, National Defense Service Medal and Volunteer Service Medal.

Angeli-Mackie said her husband was consumed by war and read books on World War I and II and Vietnam. His love of aviation rubbed off on his family, who attended airshows with him, including one in Dayton, Ohio, in 2012.

His sister, Marlene, flew with him on a Huey helicopter ride sponsored by Army Aviation Heritage Foundation in Dayton.

Rick said it was the same group that came to EAA AirVenture this year and set up at the Fond du Lac County Airport. He spotted them driving past and pulled over to investigate it with his 10-year-old son, Jordan.

Two days later, Rick returned and paid $75 to ride a Huey.

Strapped into the helicopter by a seat belt and clinging with one hand to an eye-hook on a wall, Rick rode in the gunner’s seat, surprised when they didn’t close the doors, as the chopper dipped and climbed steeply over Fond du Lac.

It was a peaceful, emotional ride for Rick, who used the flight to get to know more about his brother.

“With the recent loss of my brother and everything I just felt a real drive to,” Rick said. “It’s hard to describe. The fact that I really honored him and my family... our society today there’s all kinds of different takes on things but you can’t say enough for the people that serve our country for our freedom. We take it for granted every second, every day.

“We have no way to be able to pay them back for what they’ve done. It makes me feel good to be an American.”

More than 40 years after the war, Tom’s battle scares claimed his life, but left him at peace.

“He was a huge patriot,” Angeli-Mackie said. “He just respected the fact that he went (to war). He respected the fact he was able to say he was a veteran.”